


A Side, B Side, B Mine

by prettyboyporter



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dolores is in this too, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Season/Series 03, Secret Admirer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyboyporter/pseuds/prettyboyporter
Summary: Billy flipped the conversation heart box over. His name was written next to “To” and next to “From” was a simple question mark.“Who gave this to you?” Billy asked.“A secret admirer, dear.” She picked her purse up from the counter and re-tied her bonnet. “See you tomorrow.”
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 37
Kudos: 286
Collections: Harringrove Week of Love, harringrove for Australia





	A Side, B Side, B Mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SparkGoddess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparkGoddess/gifts).



> for lissie! thanks for particpating in HFA bb!
> 
> written for harringrove week of love and harringrove for australia

It started with a little pink box of conversation hearts. 

“Morning Dolores,” Billy said as old Mrs. Johnson took her usual seat at Jack’s Donuts. Billy was the _only one_ allowed to call her Dolores, as far as he knew. “Apple fritter and black coffee?” 

“Not today, dear,” she said with a smile. She placed a little pink box on the counter and slid it over. “Today, I have something for _you_.”

Billy smiled down at the box and glanced up at the adorable little old lady in front of him wearing her flowered rain bonnet. “Gettin sweet on me?”

She giggled. “You wouldn’t be able to keep up with me, Billy.” 

“I don’t doubt it.” He flipped the box over. His name was written next to “To” and next to “From” was a simple question mark. 

“Who gave this to you?” Billy asked. 

“A secret admirer, dear.” She picked her purse up from the counter and re-tied her bonnet. “See you tomorrow.” 

Billy ran his thumb over his name and tried to decipher the writing, but it didn’t have the loopy bubbles typical of the girls of Hawkins, but it didn’t quite look like a boy’s chicken scratch, either. 

He tugged his hood up over his head and wondered if maybe someone was playing a joke on him. It had been a _long_ time since he felt like he was an object of desire. It was December now, and during his three and a half month stint in the hospital he’d lost a bit of bulk. His clothes all fit a little loose, and scars littered his abdomen and back. 

But it was the scar on his right cheek that made him favor hoodies. 

Jack Sinclair didn’t seem to mind how Billy wore his hoodie up though. He’d hired Billy when Billy came in and tugged the _Help Wanted_ sign from the window and handed it over, stating, “been through hell and back. But I’m a hard worker, and I need a job.” He wore his hood up the entire time and Jack didn’t bat an eye -- just shook his hand and started training him. 

Most of the time, Billy walked through Hawkins now like a ghost. He wore black and faded into the background -- not speaking much, keeping to himself, and working hard. 

Being a ghost suited Billy just fine. 

So the feeling of being admired after months of invisibility just felt _weird_. He went to the bathroom and pulled down his hood. He still had lots of long, blond curls and piercing blue eyes -- but that scar. That scar made him feel marred. Unattractive.

He pulled out the box of conversation hearts and popped it open. The first one in his palm said _Be Mine_. He shrugged, thought _wouldn’t think that if you knew what you were signing up for_ , and popped the candy in his mouth.

**~*~**

Later that morning, Mr. Clarke popped in on his prep hour to grab a dozen donuts as a treat for his after-school AV Club kids. “Oh. And here -- this is for you.” 

From his briefcase, he pulled out a _Metal Edge_ magazine that had been rolled up into a cone shape, and inside, taped together, were five Snickers bars that had four rolls of Spree candy jammed between them, styled like a bouquet of flowers. 

A bouquet composed of hard rock and two of Billy’s favorite sweets.

So this person had to know Billy _pretty_ well. “Who was it?” Billy asked as he plucked out a Snickers bar. 

“Someone who’s smitten. If you’ll permit me, I think Shakespeare said it best: Love sought is good, but given unsought is better. Good luck, Billy.” Mr. Clarke picked up his box and left. 

Billy shook his head as Mr Clarke exited, popped open a Snickers bar, and unrolled the magazine to check out the four page Bon Jovi interview. 

**~*~**

At four, Billy was just putting away the last of the dishes and ready to lock up with the bell jingled. 

“Sorry, we’re closed,” he said without looking up.

“Yeah. I know, sorry about that, but I have something for you and this is stupid but if I wasn’t such a good friend-” 

Billy turned to watch Dustin Henderson hovering in front of the counter. 

“I’ve said too much. Oh shit, _I’ve said too much_. Here!” Dustin dropped a cassette tape on the counter with a clatter and said, “give it a listen.” 

“The fuck?” Billy walked over and picked up the cassette as Dustin dashed back out the door. It was blank -- no notes written on the cover. He pulled it out and there was no label affixed to either side. _I hope you like this -- S._ was written on the inside cover of the liner. 

Billy popped the cassette in the boombox that he kept in the kitchen and pressed play. Immediately the sounds of Elton John and Kiki Dee singing _Don’t Go Breaking My Heart_. It was poppy and fun, silly and most definitely _not_ Billy’s style. 

But he appreciated the message. 

Next was something slightly more up his alley -- _Hurts So Good_ by John Mellencamp. As the song went on and Mellencamp stated that sometimes love don't’ feel like it should, Billy started mentally listing all of the _S_ names he could think of. 

Suzanna Carson. Samanta Gonzales. Sheryl Franks. 

Whoever it was, they’d be in for some hard news when they found out that Billy preferred dick. Not that he felt like he’d be getting any of _that_ anytime soon.

But then _Fooled Around and Fell in Love_ by Elvin Bishop came on and Billy’s heart tripped up a bit because if there was some playboy out there fucking around until he fell in love -- 

The door jingled again. Billy stopped the music and cursed himself for not flipping the Closed sign over in the window. “Sorry, we’re closed!” he yelled. 

“Oh. Uhm, maybe I can come back tomorrow then?” Steve Harrington asked quietly, hovering a few feet back from the kitchen door. “I really kinda just wanted to talk to you anyway. No donuts necessary.” He held up his hands and smiled. “Just me.” 

Embarrassment flushed hot up Billy’s neck and he felt his stomach flip -- he’d been caught blaring a sappy ass song and clearly he was done with this work. He tugged the hood forward a bit more over his face. “Yeah, sorry. I was just finishing back here. What’s up? Does one of the kids need a ride, or-” 

“Yeah, no! No they don’t.” Harrington stepped forward. “I just wondered. Ah, fuck man, I don’t know how to say this so. Here it goes. I wondered if you liked the tape.” 

Billy’s heart dropped somewhere near his boots. “Tape?” 

Harrington came even closer and placed his hand next to Billy’s on the prep table. “Yeah. The tape you were just playing.” 

Billy wondered if he was going to die from how hard his heart rabbited in his chest. He nodded slowly. 

Harrington leaned forward and ran his finger over the edge of Billy’s hood. “The one I made for you.” 

Billy finally worked up the courage to look right up into Steve’s big, brown eyes. “All of that -- was you?”

Steve smiled and said softly, “Yeah. It was.” 

Billy touched his fingers to Steve’s on the table. 

“Can I?” Steve said, with his fingers still on the edge of Billy’s hood. 

“Yeah,” Billy said. He felt breathless with Steve’s fingers so cold under his -- he must be one of those people who are constantly cold in the winter, Billy thought, and then Steve was pushing his hood back off of his head. 

Steve reached up to touch Billy’s hair, carding them through. “Fuck,” he said, and sounded a bit awed, “you’re gorgeous.”

Billy felt the same way he did when he tried to climb the sand dunes up at Lake Michigan, his feet slipping out from under him but still managing to move forward, struggling to catch up, elated, bright sun in front of him on a summer day. 

Steve leaned forward and kissed Billy’s lips. 

His kiss was gentle and sweet, tentative, before Billy pushed forward and asserted very clearly that he wanted this -- he deepened the kiss, let his tongue touch Steve’s lips, sliding past to play with Steve’s tongue -- slick and hot as Steve gripped the back of Billy’s neck and hummed into Billy’s mouth. 

Billy wanted that sound etched into his body, wished it was a part of the mixtape and felt like his life wouldn’t be complete if he couldn’t hear that sound over and over until he grew old. 

Eventually the kiss cooled down into soft little pecks, and Steve pulled back. “Wanna go for a date, pretty boy?” 

Billy glared and affected an affronted look. “Stealing my nickname for you?” 

Harrington shrugged. “Use it or lose it, Hargrove. So. Pretty boy. Wanna go out with me tonight?” 

Billy stole another kiss from Steve’s lips. “Abso-fucking-lutely, hot lips.”

**Author's Note:**

> prettyboyporter on tumblr
> 
> Moodboard [here](https://myboyfriendsteve.tumblr.com/post/618647124131905536/its-tracy7307-birthday-so-i-made-her-a) my myboyfriendsteve (tumblr)


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